Ashley Judd Opens Up About Sexual Abuse in Wake of Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Ashley Judd is speaking out about her experience with sexual assault from a young age.

The 49-year-old actress and activist, who was among one of the first to accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, spoke about her past at the HOPE for Depression Research Foundation luncheon on Wednesday (November 8) in New York City.

“I was sexually abused the first time I was in second grade. And I’m a teller – Harvey knows that,” she told the audience. “I went straight to some adults and said, ‘This just happened, this guy molested me,’ and the adults said, ‘Oh, that’s not what he meant, he’s a nice old guy.’”

“There was another sexual assault I experienced when I was wearing a green and gold cheerleading uniform, which is all I know, which means I was in the 7th or 8th grade. This guy is a registered sex offender in a county that is contiguous to where I live in Tennessee, but I have no conscious memory of that assault whatsoever.”

In spite of her past traumas, Ashley believes that she is now “a living example of why there is hope.”

Ashley was honored with the HOPE award for Depression Advocacy during the event.